The short version
Most cycle-syncing apps plan your body: workouts, meals, self-care. Most planners ignore your cycle entirely. Lunar sits in between. It's a to-do list that uses your cycle phase and how you feel today to decide what you see, so your workload follows your month instead of fighting it.
What cycle-aware planning actually means
Cycle-aware planning means matching your task load, and the kind of tasks you take on, to the phase of your menstrual cycle. It isn't about doing less forever. It's about putting the heavy lifting where you're most likely to have the focus for it, and protecting the weeks where you don't.
Why it matters more with ADHD
Many women with ADHD notice that starting tasks, staying focused and handling frustration get harder in the late luteal phase and during their period. Research on hormones and ADHD is still developing, but the pattern many women describe is consistent enough to plan around. Read more in Estrogen, dopamine and ADHD and The week before your period is not a productivity problem.
Cycle-syncing apps vs cycle-aware task planners
Cycle-syncing apps like Cync, Rhythms and Kiyo plan workouts, meals or calendar context. That's useful, but it doesn't touch the forty things on your to-do list. A cycle-aware task planner changes the tasks themselves: what you see today, how many and how heavy.
The four phases, translated into tasks
| Phase | What many women with ADHD notice | What Lunar tends to show |
|---|---|---|
| Period | Lower energy, slower starts, more need for rest | Short, low-stakes tasks when you check in Low or Exhausted |
| Follicular | Often the clearest stretch, with more motivation and easier starts | Heavier tasks and deep work when you check in High |
| Ovulation | For many, a social, higher-energy window | Calls, conversations and tasks that need other people |
| Luteal | Focus and patience can fade, especially in the days before your period | Fewer, gentler tasks. Do This Now when choosing is too much. |
Every cycle is different, and phase lengths vary. Lunar doesn't assume a textbook cycle. You choose your phase, and you can change it any day. Read more: period · follicular · luteal · PMDD.
How Lunar adapts your list to your cycle
Check in with two taps
Pick your phase (period, follicular, ovulation or luteal) and how you feel right now (Exhausted, Low, Okay or High). That's the whole setup.
The list filters itself
Tasks that don't fit today go quiet. They aren't deleted and they don't pile up as overdue. On a high-energy follicular morning you'll see the heavy task you've been avoiding. On an exhausted luteal evening you might see one.
When starting is the problem
A shorter list helps, but sometimes even one task feels stuck. Do This Now puts a single task on screen. AI task breakdown turns it into small steps.
Irregular cycles, birth control and perimenopause
Lunar doesn't predict your cycle, so it doesn't need a regular one. You choose your phase at check-in, or skip it on days you're unsure. The energy filter works completely on its own.
14-day free trial, then $79.99/yr · iPhone · iOS 26+
Cycle-aware planners compared
Several apps now use the menstrual cycle in planning. They plan very different things. Checked against each app's own website:
| Lunar | Muna | Ebbly | Cync | Kiyo | Phoebe | Noa | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| What it plans | Your to-do list | Daily to-dos, energy forecasts and wellness prompts | Your Todoist tasks, re-sorted into a Top 3 | Daily Move, Eat and Mind actions | Nothing automatically; shows phases beside your events, to-dos and habits | Your tasks, auto-scheduled across your cycle | 1–3 tasks a day |
| Uses cycle phase | Yes, filters tasks by phase | Yes | Yes, with sleep and mood | Yes | Yes, shown next to your plans | Yes, from cycle length and start date | Shows your phase |
| Uses today's energy | Yes, 2-tap check-in, 4 levels | Yes, daily check-in | Yes, a daily capacity score | Yes, daily check-in | Not stated | Effort points you set per day | Yes |
| What changes | Tasks that don't fit go quiet | Easier options and lighter tasks | Heavy tasks flagged 'maybe skip' | New actions each day | You decide; it doesn't build a schedule | More tasks on high-capacity days | Picks 1–3 tasks |
| Built for ADHD | Yes | Yes | ADHD-friendly by design | No, cycle wellness | Not stated | No | Yes |
| Needs another app or device | No | No (calendar sync optional) | Todoist; syncs an Ultrahuman ring | No (Apple Health optional) | No | No | No |
| Help starting a task | Do This Now, AI task breakdown | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Rescue Mode, body-doubling timer |
| Platforms | iPhone (iOS 26+) | Not stated | Not stated | iPhone | iPhone, Android and web | Not stated | iPhone, Android |
| Price | 14-day free trial, then $79.99/yr | Premium with a 30-day free trial | Not stated | Free download; Premium $9.49/mo or $56.99/yr | Free | Free during early access | Free download; optional Premium |
Checked October 2026 against each app's own website. A dash or "Not stated" means the app's site doesn't say.
Synca and Rhythms are cycle-syncing apps that also cover daily routines; check their sites for current features.
- Cync is for women who want daily workout, meal and mindset guidance by phase. It plans your body, not your to-do list.
- Kiyo is for people who want to see their cycle phases next to their calendar, to-dos and habits, and decide for themselves.
- Ebbly re-sorts a Todoist list using sleep, mood and cycle. It's for Todoist users who track their sleep.
- Phoebe auto-schedules tasks across a set energy curve. It's for people who like planning a recurring rhythm in advance.
- Muna is cycle tracking with planning support, with calendar sync.
- Noa plans 1–3 tasks a day with a rescue mode, and shows your cycle phase.
- Lunar is for women with ADHD who want the to-do list itself to shrink or grow with their cycle phase and today's energy, plus help starting the one task that's left.
Lunar is for you if…
- Your hard weeks are predictable, but you still plan as if every week is the same.
- You already track your period somewhere else and want your tasks to use that information.
- You want fewer decisions on low days, not more.
Lunar isn't the right fit if…
- You need a period or fertility tracker. Try a dedicated tracker (see Clue vs Lunar and Flo vs Lunar).
- You want calendar-based scheduling, or you need Android or the web.
Planning a hard luteal week with Lunar
It's day 22. Your list has eighteen things on it, and your brain refuses all of them. You open Lunar, tap luteal and Exhausted, and the list drops to three: reply to one email, take a shower, eat something warm. You do two. That's enough for today. Nothing turns into an overdue pile, and next week, when you check in High, the bigger tasks come back. If your hard week is very hard, read PMDD and ADHD.
Your cycle data stays yours
Lunar never sells your task data or cycle information to third parties. Read the privacy policy.
14-day free trial, then $79.99/yr · iPhone · iOS 26+
Questions about cycle-aware planning
Is there a planner app that adapts to my menstrual cycle?
Yes. Lunar: ADHD Planner for Women is an iPhone to-do list that asks your cycle phase and energy each day and only shows tasks that fit. Cycle-syncing apps like Cync, Rhythms and Kiyo plan workouts, meals or calendar context; Lunar adapts the tasks you actually see, so hard weeks get a lighter list.
What's the difference between a cycle syncing app and a cycle-aware planner?
Cycle syncing apps such as Cync suggest workouts, meals and mindset actions for each phase of your cycle. A cycle-aware planner changes your tasks instead. Lunar uses your phase and today's energy to decide which items on your to-do list you see, so your workload follows your cycle, not just your workouts.
I have ADHD and my productivity crashes before my period. What app helps?
Lunar is designed for that week. In your luteal phase or on a low-energy day, it lightens your list to a few gentle tasks and can show just one task with Do This Now. It's a planning tool, not treatment. If symptoms are severe, talk to a clinician about PMDD.
Which phase of my cycle is best for deep work with ADHD?
Many women with ADHD describe the follicular phase, the days after their period, as their clearest stretch, though patterns vary a lot. Lunar doesn't assume a textbook cycle. It brings heavier tasks forward whenever you check in with high energy.
Does a cycle-aware planner work with irregular periods or birth control?
Lunar does. It doesn't predict your cycle, so irregular periods aren't a problem: you choose your phase at check-in, or skip it on days you're unsure. The energy filter works on its own, which also helps if you're on hormonal birth control or perimenopausal and your phases are less clear.
Lunar vs Muna: which cycle-aware planner is better?
Muna is cycle tracking with planning support, and it syncs with Google, Apple and Outlook calendars. Lunar is a task list first, filtered by your cycle phase and energy, with Do This Now and AI task breakdown to help you start. Choose by whether tracking or doing is your bigger problem.
Is Lunar a period tracker?
No. Lunar is an ADHD to-do app that uses your cycle phase to plan your tasks. It doesn't track periods, predict ovulation or work as contraception. Many people pair it with a dedicated period tracker such as Clue or Flo and simply tell Lunar which phase they're in at check-in.
How much does Lunar cost?
Lunar is free to download on iPhone (iOS 26 or later) with a 14-day free trial. After the trial it's $79.99 a year, and you can manage or cancel it anytime in your App Store subscription settings. Lunar isn't available on Android or the web yet.